Wednesday, November 28, 2012

We had the BEST Thanksgiving this year. Me and my mom cooked dinner at home like we always do. We had everything... Turkey, Ham, Dressing, Macaroni 'n cheese, Potato Salad, Greens, Sweet Corn Cakes, Sweet Potato Casserole, and Rolls. And for dessert we had Homemade caramel cake, Banana Pudding, and Pecan pie. Yes, we had all that!! I was one stuffed girl :0)
Then we all went over to my Uncle James and Aunt Jamila's house for Dinner also. I ate so much food this pasted weekend it's crazy! My Uncle cooked Duck, stuffing, candid yams, greens, homemade cranberry sauce, and rolls. Both dinners were delicious. We always play Po-Keeno when we have family get togethers and we always have so much fun playing. This was DJ's first time playing and he said he loved it. DJ won 2 games of Po-keeno. The peak of my day was that this was DJ first Thanksgiving in California and I was so worried about him being home sick. I wanted him to be as eased and comfortable as possible so I suggested he call his parents and siblings back home. But to my surprise DJ said he wasn't home sick at all and that he LOVED his first Thanksgiving in California. He said he had a lot of fun and that our Thanksgiving was so different from back home. They just eat and then all the men go in one room and watch football so it was new to him that we all stay in the same room had football on the TV while playing Po-Keeno.

Monday, November 19, 2012

Today November 19 is my Sister's 25 birthday! I'm sad she's not here in Cali to celebrate her special day with us but we are just happy that her and Baby Zaya are doing great and so excited because we will see them both very soon for Christmas.

Sunday, November 18, 2012

This has been one busy week for me! I'm so happy tomorrow is my rest day and all I will be doing is going to Church No cooking! No cleaning! and No crafts! For the past month all I've been seeing is Damask this and Damask that! I'm so happy this party is taking place in excatly one week. I'm excited to see how all the decorations and party set up are going to look all finished and I'm really happy to see Auntie's reaction =D

Once again just like my previous parties this one is full of D.I.Y. projects. I feel it gives each party a little special touch when you hand make everything. So here are some of the DIY items that I've been working on this past week.

Food Labels placed on "Love" Place cardholder & Water bottles with Water bottle labels I made

Here are the food Labels laid flat down

Here's a close up of the water bottles

More water bottle pics, food labels, and the Mason jar Favors (cupcakes will be in them soon)

Rough Draft of the Menu (I still don't know if I'm using this yet)

D.I.Y Happy Birthday Banner

I started on the banner last night and haven't just quite finished it, but it will be done and hung up Friday night.

I apologize for some of the pictures because they are dark and grainy I took them with my cell phone (which has no flash) but as always I will post party pictures soon and all the details after the party!

Tuesday, November 13, 2012

As I've told ya'll before I recently tried a Corn Pudding recipe and it was a horrible! Click here to see the previous post. So since then I've found a ton of other recipes on Corn Pudding that I planned on trying, but me and my mom made a trip to El Pollo Loco for lunch a couple of days ago and I had a chicken bowl with some sweet corn cake on the side. Then it came to me the whole time I was trying to make find a recipe for Corn pudding, but I really wanted something sweet and had corn in it I just didn't know what it was called at the time. I Googled and found a ton of recipe for something called Sweet corn cake. Delicious does not even describe how good this is. It's beyond Delicious, it's Scrumptious!!!!!!

Ingredients:

1 box of Cornbread Mix {I used Jiffy Cornbread}

1 can of Sweet Cream Corn

1/2 cup of Sugar

1/4 cup Melted Butter

1/4 cup Water

Directions:

Combine all the ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Mix until ingredients are combined. Pour mixture in a 9x5 inch Loaf pan. Bake at 350 degrees uncovered for 40-45 mins. Use an Ice cream scoop to serve sweet corn cake as a side dish or for dessert.

This recipe was so simple and easy and They are definitely going to be on the Thanksgiving table this year.

Sunday, November 11, 2012

I found this delicious recipe from Erin over at Blue-Eyed Bride. Her blog is amazing. Check her out here. My family loved this pasta casserole and so did I. We will definitely be adding this to one of our family favorites.

Bow Tie Fiesta

Ingredients:

1 bag of Bow tie Pasta

1 lb Ground Beef

1/2 onion, chopped

1/2 green bell pepper, chopped

1 can tomato sauce

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 cup Sour cream

1 cup Salsa

1 cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese

Directions:

1. Cook the pasta using package diractions and cook for 7-10 mins. Then Drain

2. Brown the Ground beef in a skillet and add in onions and bell peppers and cook until the onions are tender. Keep stirring.

3. Stir in the tomato sauce and chili powder

4. In a large bowl, Combine the pasta, ground beef mixture, sour cream and salsa and mix well.

5. Spoon into a baking dish. Sprinkle with cheese and let bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 30 mins or until brown and bubbly.

Friday, November 9, 2012

Today I went hiking with my Best Friend, Christina and it was Amazing. For weeks we've been talking about visiting this 5 mile hiking area and just haven't got around to doing it. We finally decided okay for sure Friday were doing it. I'm so over all this weight I've gained and want to start shedding it a whole lost fast then I am. I moved back to California in March of this year and I've only lost 12 pounds. What?!?! 12 pounds that's it! When I lived in Louisiana boy was I packing on that weight. And I thought when I moved back out to Cali and started getting more active and changing my eating habits this weight was just going to just shed off and disappear. Boy was I ever so wrong! It seems like the older I get the harder it is to lose weight. Thank God I have a wonderful friend who encourages me and motivates me.

The clouds were beautiful...

...And so was the view.

We laughed and talked about everything! It was so much fun :D

After having so much fun hiking we treat ourselves to some Delicious Salads.

I really enjoyed getting out the house and doing something that will definitely help towards me loosing all this weight I have gained over the last 2 years. And we enjoyed ourselves so much we plan on making this hike a weekly thing.

Thursday, November 8, 2012

As always we've been cooking and eating good this week. I had been bugging Mom to make Mexican Chicken. Definitely a Family Favorite in our home and a dish we ate so many times growing up. Mom brought all the stuff to make the Mexican chicken so I was extremely excited, then she said, "Okay start cooking". Hahaha Mom is so funny, I've been asking her to make the Mexican Chicken all week and I end up being the one cooking it :D

Mexican Chicken

And also this week we had Sandra Lee's Beer BBQ Chicken.

When my mom makes this dish it's never any left overs.

Beer BBQ Chicken

I will definitely be posting the recipe to the Mexican Chicken soon and an update version of the Beer BBQ Chicken. I hope you enjoy drooling over these yummy dishes until I can post the recipes :-D

Tuesday, November 6, 2012

My Sister-in-Law, Donique had her baby girl. Not only is her name is Beautiful but she's beautiful as well. She looks just like her Mommy Donique. DJ family has strong genes and I love because they have a beautiful family and I hope my baby looks just like an Evans.

When Donique called and said she was going into labor I got so excited and over whelmed with Joy I couldn't wait until DJ called me on his lunch break. Donique didn't have baby Jenesis that day but sure enough baby Jenesis came the following day.

Me and DJ were so sad we missed the birth and we can't wait until next Summer when we get to go back home to visit and finally meet our niece. We now have 2 new nieces. Our Family keeps growing and getting bigger and bigger and we love it!

Jenesis Janae

6 lbs. 15 oz. 20 inches

Babies are truly a blessing and a gift from God. I just can't wait until the day that DJ and I start a Family of our own, but until then we will Love and spoil our nieces and nephews just as though they are ours.

Monday, November 5, 2012

Today November 5 is Auntie's birthday and I can't wait until we get to celebrate with her. I've been planning her party and I've been keeping everything a secret so I can't wait until I surprise her with everything!

Happy Birthday Auntie!

You are a very special Woman! Your Strong, Talented and Hilarious and we Love you so much <3

Saturday, November 3, 2012

I got this recipe around the same time last year from Grandma and when I mean I've made it like 50 times already. Yes!!! Like 50 times in one year =D I remember after the first time I made El Dorado Casserole Auntie and DJ would ask me everyday to make it. It felt like I was cooking it every week. Auntie even made a song and dance it was so funny and I thought it was cute. So that's why I call it "My world famous El Dorado Casserole" This dish is truly a Family Favorite in our family and I hope you make it and enjoy it in yours.

What you'll Need:

1 bag of Dorito Chips

2 cans of Hunts Tomato Sauce

1 can of Rotel

1 container of Sour Cream

1 container of Cottage Cheese

1 lb of Ground Beef

1 bag of Kraft Mexican Four Cheese shredded cheese

{F.Y.I. I have 2 bags of Doritos and Kraft cheese because I make double due

to my large family and that it goes like Hot cakes}

Step 1

Brown the ground beef in a large skillet

Step 2

Drain the oil from the ground beef

Step 3

In a mixing bowl, combine Sour cream and Cottage cheese

together and stir together until well combined

Step 4

In the large skillet, Add tomato sauce and Rotel to the

ground beef mixture and cook on low heat

Step 5

In a pan place Dorito chips at the bottom

Step 6

Spoon the sour cream and cottage cheese mixture onto the chips

Step 7

Spread the sour cream and cottage cheese mixture all over the chips

Step 8

Then add some of the ground beef mixture on top

Step 9

Next add cheese on top

Step 10

Then Repeat each steps agian

1) Chips

2) Sour cream and cottage cheese mixture

3) Ground beef mixture

4)Shredded Cheese

After your done with your second layer place the pan in the preheat oven at 350 degrees and Bake for 40-45 mins

Friday, November 2, 2012

October is my favorite month because I am a horror movie junkie. Me and Niqua watch Scary movies all month long. Aww Sisterly bonding.. hahaha :0) The only thing now is we have to snick and watch them because Ny and Khi are too young to watch scary movies. But another good thing about movie night in October we not only just watch scary movies but we watch movies from our Childhood as well. I'm 26 years old now and I still watch Hocus Pocus and Germlins like a little kid. It reminds me of wearing big t-shirts to bed, eating our Halloween candy and popcorn and watching movies with my sisters. It bring back so many memories. And what I love most now is that I can share that with Ny and Khi all the movies that me and my sisters watched as kids Ny and Khi are now watching. I think that is so adorable.

Princess and Warrior will give me a hard time to watch Scooby-Doo the cartoon but they LOVED the movie. They love both 1 and 2 and we've been watching it on repeat everyday.

This was one of my favorite childhood movies but Princess is so scared of the Little person in the movie and gets so scared when she sees him and no longer wants to watch it.

Princess always say Uncle "BJ" sing the Addams Family song. She loves when we sing it with her and snap our fingers. {I think next Halloween me and DJ should be Morticia and Gomez Addams}

Princess is hooked on this movie! This is her new favorite movie. Every morning when she gets ready for school she ask can she watch it so I put it on for her. Then when she comes home from school she asked "Can I watch Hocus Pocus?" I think it is so cute how this was me and all my sisters favorite movie and now it's Ny's favorite.

Now onto the Scarrrryyy stuff...

When the kids are asleep I keep my TV on AMC Fear Fest. Every year they show all the old classic horror movies and new ones. I Love it!

This was all new to DJ last year when I was watching all my annually Halloween movies that I watch every year DJ would be at work, so this year he was able to watch it with us all. DJ has never really watched Halloween movies as a child all October long like we did growing up, so I was really glad I got to share this family custom with him.